FIG. 21 of the accompanying drawings is a perspective view of a conventional relay. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a connection structure of the relays shown in FIG. 21 with terminal fittings. FIG. 23 is a plan view of the connection structure of the relays with the terminal fittings shown in FIG. 22. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 23.
As shown in FIG. 21, the conventional relay 301 includes a relay main body 302 of which an outer shape is a rectangular solid (rectangular parallelepiped), and a plurality of plate-shaped terminals 303 that protrudes from a bottom face 302b of the relay main body 302. The plate-shaped terminals 303 are adapted to be fitted in terminal fittings 304 (shown in FIG. 24). In FIG. 21, reference numeral 302a designates a top face of the relay main body 302, and reference numerals 302c-302f designate lateral faces of the relay main body 302. The arrow K designates the fitting direction of the terminals 303 into the terminal fittings 304.
As shown in FIGS. 22-24, a conventional “connection structure 307 of the relays with the relay fittings” includes the two relays 301 shown in FIG. 21, a plurality of terminal fittings 304 that receives (engages with) the terminals 303 of the relays 301, and a holding member 306 to receive and hold the relays 301 and the terminal fittings 304. It should be noted that one of the two relays 301 is not shown in FIG. 23 to illustrate the holding member 360.
As shown in FIG. 24, the terminal fittings 304 have female connectors that engage with the terminals 303 of the associated relays 301. The terminal fittings 304 are connected to ends of electrical cords 305.
The holding member 306 is made from synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 22, the holding member 306 has two relay-receiving portions 363. Each of the relay-receiving portions 363 has a placement face 360 on which the relay main body 302 is placed, a plurality of receiving rooms 361 formed below the placement face 360 to receive the terminals 303 and the terminal fittings 304, and lances 362 extending in the receiving rooms 361 respectively to support (abut to) the associated terminal fittings 304. In FIG. 22, reference numeral 364 designates a latch (lock) to lock the holding member on a casing of an electrical junction box or the like.
The above-described “connection structure 307 of the relays and the terminal fittings” is housed in, for example, a casing made from synthetic resin to provide an electrical junction box for an automobile (see Patent Literature 1 mentioned below).